Autocar Trucks of the 1950s


Book Description

Autocar’s roots go way back into the early 1900s and became known for tough and rugged trucks. When WWII came, very few trucks for civilian use were produced and by the end many trucks were worn out from constant use. After the war, civilian production began again in full force because of the lack of new trucks. In 1950, when Autocar introduced the new driver cab, the louver design was eliminated. The old style flat windshield sleeper cabs were used up until 1953 (the same year that Autocar was purchased by the White Motor Co.) when the new sleeper cab was introduced. Autocar became the top-of-the-line marque for White and marketing focused primarily on specialized applications, such as construction, logging, mining and oil industries. See the rest of the “World’s Finest” helping do their part to revive America in the 1950s.




Kenworth Trucks of the 1950s


Book Description

For Kenworth, the 1950s were some of its most exciting years. A financial windfall started out the decade, with a special truck built for ARAMCO that became a standard at oil sites around the world. In the mid 1950s Kenworth began building trucks in Canada and developed a new design with the cab beside the engine, upping the cargo capacity by 1,000 pounds and offering greatly improved visibility for the driver. In 1956 the company became a subsidiary of the Pacific Car and Foundry Company and under new ownership the 900 model, with a lighter, shorter chassis, was introduced. And, in 1957 the first tilt cab over engine was introduced with easier access to the engine and transmission for servicing. See the huge variety of Kenworths moving goods to Americans at the start of boom times.




Semi-Trucks of the 1950s


Book Description

After WWII Americans were anxious to re-stoke the economy after a long “make-do with what you have” dry spell. By the 1950s new highways were being built, new trucking companies were being formed and old ones revived. Americans were buying newly-styled cars and the latest technologies once again. Semi-trucks helped pave the way for this huge growth spurt in America with dependable trucks built by Mack, GMC, Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, International, White Freightliner, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Diamond T, Reo, Autocar, Brockway, Sterling and others, many using the increasingly popular diesel engines made by Buda, Hercules, Waukesha, and Cummins, which helped their heavy loads haul quicker. Ron Adams portrays this booming era with over 300 superb photos of trucks hauling cement, fuel, and a variety of goods to enthusiastic Americans.




Big Rigs of the 1950s


Book Description

The continued improvement of roadways and the dawn of the Interstate highway system in the 1950s was a boon to American industry in general and the trucking industry in particular. This marque-by-marque photo collection provides a comprehensive and nostalgic look back at the rapid development of the tractor-trailer rigs that resulted. Manufacturers like GMC, Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, White, Freightliner, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Diamond T, International, Mack, Autocar, Brockway and Sterling are shown hauling everything from Cadillacs to cabbage across town, up the coast and over mountain passes. Thorough captions describe the development and history of each model as depicted in archival black-and-white and period color photography.




American Semi Trucks


Book Description




Autocar Trucks


Book Description

Autocar - The World's Finest! In 1950 the Autocar Driver Cab was introduced, which along with the Autocar Sleeper Cab and the Autocar Aluminum Driver Cab, was used on all conventional models produced until Volvo replaced it after purchasing Autocar. In the 1950s Autocar began what it called Custom Engineering, designing each vehicle to the individual customer's specific requirements. At this time Autocar focused on models for construction, logging, mining, quarrying and oil production, as well as lightweight over-the-road designs. Large format photos with informative captions illustrate all of the major models produced during this period. A brief history of the Autocar company is included.




White Trucks of the 1950s


Book Description

White Motor Company was a major producer of American trucks between 1919 and 1980 with its primary manufacturing facilities in Cleveland, Ohio. The company began as a sewing machine manufacturing concern founded in 1876 by Thomas H. White and expanded by his sons into steam and gasoline-powered automobiles; however, it was in the trucking field that White made its mark. During its production years, White offered a broad array of light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks before concentrating on the latter from the 1960s on. In addition to its brand name, White purchased and/or marketed a litany of other trucking manufacturers, including Reo, Diamond T, Diamond Reo, Autocar, Whitehorse, PDQ, Western Star, and White Freightliner trucks. White fell on hard financial times and declared bankruptcy in 1980. The named lived on for awhile in the 1980s under the parentage of corporate giant Volvo. This book reviews White medium and heavy-duty truck models in roughly the decade of the 1950s, including the WC, 3000, 4000, 5000, and 9000 series.




365 Cars You Must Drive


Book Description




International Heavy Trucks of the 1950s


Book Description

With worn-out trucks after World War II and plans laid out by the Federal Government to build the Interstate Highway System, truck production really took off in the 1950s. Companies and drivers who used International semi-trucks worked hard to deliver the goods. This large-picture format book shows the fine details of these trucks at work during this productive time period.




Semi Trucks of the West


Book Description

Prior to the 1970s, when length laws were written to allow longer configurations to run on the national interstate highway system, you would only see a lot of these trucks west of the Mississippi. Configurations such as the Rocky Mountain Double were not allowed in many states. Semi Trucks of the West is the first book to showcase the unique truck/trailer combos and companies that worked the roads in the American West from the early 1900s thru the 1970s. Ron Adams has pulled 375 images from his vast collection to feature companies and truck makers, such as Navajo Freight Lines Inc.; Denver-Chicago Trucking Co. Inc.; Braswell Motor Freight Lines Inc.; Western Truck Lines Inc.; I.M.L. Freight Inc.,; West Coast Fast Freight Inc.; Los Angeles-Seattle Motor Express Inc.; Garrett Freight Lines, Illinois-California Express Inc.; Ringsby Truck Lines Inc.; Watson Bros. Transportation Co. Inc.; Pacific Inter-Mountain Express; Transcon Lines Inc.; Big Sky Co-op of Montana; Garrison Fast Freight Inc.; Arrowhead Freight Lines Inc.; United Truck Lines Inc.; Strickland Transportation Co.; Peterbilt semi trucks; Sterling: International; Kenworth; White:Autocar trucks; GMC semi trucks; Fruehauf trailers; Mack semi trucks; Freightliner semi trucks. Trucks and companies from the following states are covered : California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Wyoming and Montana.